🔗 THE COLLABORATION REVOLUTION DECODED 

Twenty-eight companies. Three years. One unified data standard that BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen all agreed to. Thomas Rösch, CEO of Cofinity-X and Board Member of Catena-X, joins "Under the Hood: Automotive Storytelling" to unpack this unprecedented automotive collaboration.

🎯 KEY INSIGHTS

Centralized vs. Decentralized: The Trust Paradigm Shift

Thomas exposes automotive's "one-up, one-down" data sharing trap that creates supply chain opacity, then unveils Catena-X's data sovereignty solution—where companies retain ownership while enabling standardized peer-to-peer data exchange that builds industry-wide trust.

The Standardization Strategy of Seamless Integration

Discover how 28 companies achieved the impossible—three years of collaboration bringing a global data ecosystem to life that creates a trusted environment for cross-company collaboration and innovation. It enables: Sovereign data exchange between all automotive enterprises.Catena-X creates a foundation for a connected, resilient, and sustainable automotive industry, which Cofinity-X brings to life. 

The Global Scaling of Data Ecosystems

Learn why data spaces are exploding beyond automotive into aerospace, chemicals, and construction, with Korea's government-funded rollout and 25+ Chinese company pilots proving that collaborative data infrastructure is becoming an essential industrial operating system.

💡 PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS

• Audit Data Readiness Now: Regulatory requirements like battery passports and PCF reporting are non-negotiable—Catena-X allows standardized processes for the exchange of sustainability data with all your partners
   
• Choose Your Software Strategy: Select from 50+ certified marketplace applications and services or leverage open-source code—freedom from vendor lock-in while maintaining standards compliance saves costs and preserves agility.
   
• Join Readiness Programs: Leverage Catena-X's supplier-focused booster programs—the network effect only works with broad participation, and early adopters gain first-mover advantage in supply chain transparency.
   
• Explore Cross-Industry Opportunities: If you serve multiple sectors, one infrastructure works across automotive, aerospace, and industrial—ChemX, FactoryX, and AerospaceX are emerging with identical principles.
   

🌟 ABOUT YOUR GUIDE

Thomas Rösch brings 40+ years of automotive and IoT expertise, including nine years founding ZF's Openmatics telematics platform. After learning firsthand why centralized, single-company platforms fail to achieve industry adoption, he now leads dual roles: CEO of Cofinity-X (first Catena-X operator) and Catena-X Association Board Member, where his conviction that "belief and making it happen" is reshaping global automotive data collaboration.

"Under the Hood: Automotive Storytelling" uncovers the human narratives driving innovation in an industry that impacts lives worldwide. Hosted by Stéphane Lagresle, this podcast explores how the power of storytelling ultimately connects technology to humans.